Shakespeares and Harvey Ingram announce merger

MIDLANDS law firms Shakespeares and Harvey Ingram have announced their intention to merge.

Staff at Birmingham and Leicester-based Harvey Ingram were told of the development yesterday. The firm said it was in “detailed and exclusive discussions” with Birmingham-based Shakespeares with the aim of formally merging on August 1, 2012.

The deal will create the second biggest law firm spanning the East and West Midlands, employing some 815 lawyers and staff. With a combined annual turnover of approximately £50m, the merged firm is expected to secure a top 50 position in The Lawyer’s UK 200 Annual Report next year – Shakespeares currently occupies 84th position.

Paul Wilson, chief executive at Shakespeares, said: “In a fast-changing legal sector our combined strengths will make us even more attractive to our prospective client base, not least in the East Midlands, where we will have a particularly strong presence in Nottingham and Leicester. Our combined financial strength will also allow us to continue to invest in our people, technology and our brand.

“The merger with Harvey Ingram is a significant strategic step that places us where we want to be in terms of scale and reach in the East and West Midlands and will bring significant benefits for our clients.

“Together, Shakespeares and Harvey Ingram will represent a full-service legal powerhouse in the East and West Midlands, with a culture based on a quality-driven, service-oriented approach.”

The merger marks the latest phase of Shakepeares’ expansion which has seen it absorb both Needham & James in Stratford-upon-Avon and Berrymans in Nottingham during the past two years.

With offices in Leicester, Birmingham, Milton Keynes, Newport Pagnell and Bedford, Harvey Ingram is a full-service, commercial law firm, led by Simon Astill, managing partner. Founded in 1767, it is the largest and best known firm in Leicestershire having expanded in the home-counties and wider Midlands in January 2011 following a merger with Borneos.

The firm has a diverse client base including large businesses and SMEs as well as private clients and also offers a personal injury claim service.

Mr Astill said: “I am delighted to be announcing the firm’s merger plans. The move will open up a new world of opportunities for us all. Our merger with Shakespeares is very much a meeting of minds and I am confident that by coming together we will be creating a more compelling law firm to work with or be advised by.”

Click here to sign up to receive our new South West business news...
Close